Yuki of The Dead
by Red wolfs
Summary: My parents were some crazy doomsday preppers. I always thought they were crazy, smart, but crazy...Until the dead started to walk. With only the clothes on my back, some weapons, and few supplies, how am I supposed to cross hundreds of miles of American soil to get to safety? Well, I do have 'mad ninja skills'. What could go wrong? OC/?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own anything except my Oc(s) and some of the plot. Everything else is the property of various people. The Walking Dead belongs to Robert Kirkman; Z-Nation is owned by either The Asylum or NBCUniversal, maybe both. Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. Eevee, as all Pokemon do, belongs jointly to Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures. I do not get money from writing this, only the satisfaction of reading any reviews left on this fic. This will be the only disclaimer in the work.

!WARNING!

Disturbing content is contained in this fic. This is the zombie apocalypse people, shit is going to go down. Blood, gore, offensive language (courtesy of everyone's favorite pair of redneck brothers), and zombies ahead.

Author's note: The first chapter there are no English speakers, so assume everything is in Japanese with some actual Japanese phrases and things spread throughout. Second chapter is when sentences in Japanese are bolded. If you want to know what the phrases mean, google it or whatever. First fic, please be kind and offer up any constructive criticism. Flames will be given to Daryl for him to make squirrel stew ;)

Chapter 1: Himura Yuki, Modern Day Ninja

Stab, block, dodge, roll, block, opening, thrust. My opponent falls to the floor winded, hand rubbing at where the wooden practice sword had jabbed into him. I grin, elated, some sweat beading along my hairline, and bend over to help my elderly sensei up. I did it, I beat Sensei. Finally, after 5 years I have gained the necessary skill in order to beat Jiji. Sensei stands, a proud smile growing on his face.

"Good job, Yuki," Sensei begins, "you have finally bested me in single combat. It is my greatest honor to tell you, my student, that you have learned all you can here." Sensei gazes up at me, being only 5' tall compared to my 6'3". Most people would be unnerved by my strange eyes; Sensei is not. Even though I am Asian, I have pale blue eyes; the strangest thing is that I have no pupils. I can see perfectly, it just freaks people out especially since I tend to stare. A lot.

"Sensei, does that mean," I ask, cutting myself off? The last time I brought up this subject, Sensei had me clean the entire dojo by hand. The old geezer simply turns without a word, silently beckoning me to follow. And follow I do, too curious for my own good sometimes.

We leave the sparring room, heading deeper into the dojo. Weapons and silk scrolls hang from the walls, growing more numerous and strange the further we go. Finally we reach a set of sliding doors decorated with paintings of oriental dragons, lotus flowers, and bonsai trees. Sensei pauses, turning towards me.

"Yuki, my most prized student, " he intones gravely, "it is to my great joy that you have completed your training. It means that you are now ready to protect both yourself and those you consider your family and allies. For years I have had a feeling that a great darkness is soon going to encompass this world. Now that you are fully trained in the martial arts you chose, it gives me peace of mind, knowing that whatever happens you will be prepared." I deadpan, this is what he wanted me for? A 'warning from the gods'. He may be my sensei, but sometimes he is almost as crazy as my parents. Sensei continues, "I know you believe your parents and I crazy, but everything we have done, was done to protect and educate you to the dangers this world contains." He turns, opening the sliding doors.

We walk in, Sensei striding up to one of the many katana stands. _No way, he really is going to_...Sensei reaches out and lifts a sword up from the stand. Turning around, he slowly makes his way back to where I stand flabbergasted.

"Kneel, " he orders. I do so, recognizing that this would be one of the best days of my life. "This weapon was forged by an old friend, a master swordsmith. I asked him to make me a blade for a promising new student of mine. For you." Shocked I look up, _Sensei had his friend make_ _ **me**_ _a katana_? He continues, unaware of my thoughts, "It was made with L6 Bainite and is extremely durable. I would not go around hitting it against boulders or some such, but it should hold a razor edge and last for years as long as you can keep up with maintenance. It rusts easily, so be sure to clean it often. Each of my previous students have received a katana upon graduation, as you were my best student, I had to give you the best katana I could." Shocked, I could only lift my arms, allowing Sensei to place the katana in my hands.

The very heavy, solid weight of a deadly weapon landing in my hands snaps me from my stupor, my eyes darting to study my newest possession. The sheath is solid oak wood treated to look white with a shiny varnish, a loop on either end to attach it to either my back or waist. I can only see the hilt of the sword which is silver-colored and covered in crisscrossing pale blue leather strips for a comfortable grip, the blade itself hidden in the sheath. The hilt is 11 inches long, made to be wielded by both hands for more powerful attacks. On the ovular end of the hilt is an inscription.

氷

雨

"Hisame…," I mutter slowly. Grinning, I look back to my sensei, "you truly had this made for me, didn't you, Jiji." I swear I can see him smirk.

"Ice Storm, I thought it an appropriate name because of your eyes and skill set."

"Hmmm, " I grip the hilt, slowly unsheathing my newest battle companion. As the sharp tip edges out of the opening in the sheath, I take a moment to admire the craftsmanship of Hisame. The blade is sharp, no doubt about that, with a shine only new blades or those well taken care of have. The blade is the standard 27 inches long, bringing the total length to 38 inches. I take a couple of practice swings, getting a feel for the weight. Like all metal weapons, it was heavy. Not nearly heavy enough to slow me down, but enough to feel the strain. Out of the corner of my eye I see Sensei leaving the room.

I resheath Hisame, turning to follow Jiji. I wander around till I reach the entranceway. Sensei is standing right in front of the door.

"I have a feeling this is last we will see of each other for a long time, my student."

"And why is that, Sensei, I live right down the street?" California is where my parents decided to relocate us after becoming obsessed with surviving the apocalypse. What am I talking about, they were already obsessed with the apocalypse, me turning 5 had nothing to do with us moving. Oto-san bought a huge plot of land with the money left over from a lottery he won a few weeks before, the rest having been used to get us citizenship in the U.S. Since then they have turned those 200 acres of land into a fortress.

Oto-san and Ka-san somehow managed to buy some land in Stanislaus National Forest, the rangers thought they were going to convert it into a wildlife sanctuary. I think they just wanted to be very isolated from others when the apocalypse starts, not that I think it will. The compound is between Black Hawk Mountain and Walker Mountain, a fair number of miles from Lee Vining, a small town near the California-Nevada border. I have never actually been there, but my parents gave me the blueprints and some pictures of it.

Also, there is a CDC a few hundred miles away on Mount Wilson. Ka-san is a pathologist, and Oto-san is a doctor. They both work at the CDC at Mount WIlson and have taught me everything they know. Well, not everything, but I know what happens in case of emergencies, like the power shutting off at the CDC and other buildings such as it from Ka-san. Oto-san taught me basic first-aid and the anatomy of the human body. He also enrolled me in summer courses meant to prepare teenagers for a career in medicine. I know enough to be considered a doctor; I have no interest in a medical career however.

The knowledge is good to have, but I feel like they are preparing me for a worst case scenario. Ever since I started my training at a young age, they have stuffed survival skills down my throat: how to fish, make a shelter, cook, repair clothing, jury rig supplies, set traps, pack neatly to save space, and some other tips and tricks. I come out of my thoughts in time to hear Sensei begin to speak.

"Did your parents not tell you," he asks? Baffled, I answer.

"Tell me what," I hesitantly continue, "...are we moving?"

"Yes, your parents have been reassigned to the CDC in Georgia."

 _Georgia, we're moving...to GEORGIA?!_ I'm stunned, literally stunned. I have many friends here, planned out a future here, in California. And now I have to move? I can feel my chi rising in anger, a blue aura beginning to surround my form. Sensei places a hand on my shoulder, instantly my chi begins to calm, the aura fading.

"Yuki, you are not moving to Georgia, your parents decided to move to Knoxville, Tennessee. They did not want you to live in Georgia since they felt it would be better for you to be in Tennessee when the darkness comes. Knoxville is only a few hours drive from their new workplace."

"Oh...that's okay, I guess, it's just...I didn't think we would ever have to move again." _At least this time we're not moving to another continent_ , I try to look on the bright side. "Well, I guess this is goodbye for now, Sensei. I will try and come to visit you soon."

"Yuki, I have forgotten, what is the date today, " Sensei asks? Jiji seems to get more and more forgetful each day.

"Jiji, it is the 29th of December, 2009. Only two days until 2010." (AN: all die hard TWD fans will know the significance of 2010, even if they haven't watched Fear The Walking Dead)

"Ah, forgive me, Yuki, my mind grows more clouded with age."

"It's alright, Sensei. Just don't forget to feed yourself like you did three weeks ago."

"I won't forget just because you are not here to remind me, I only forgot because I was in deep meditation," he replied laughingly. He sobers up quickly and looks me straight in my eyes, "It has been to my absolute honor to train an individual with your sheer talent, Yuki. If we never see each other again after this day I want you to know that you have been like the granddaughter I never had these past 5 years."

And then I am pulled into a hug. Tears gathering in my eyes, I crouch down and hug back hard. I never knew any of my grandparents so Sensei became somewhat of a surrogate one during my training. Since we are moving so far away it may be years until I have enough money to buy the plane tickets to visit him. While my parents are in no way poor, they instilled in me a drive to earn things for myself and be independent at a young age. I have no wish to mooch of their money every time I want to see Sensei.

"Goodbye, Sensei. I will come as soon as I am able to," I whisper through tears. I can see a few tears fall from Sensei's eyes.

"Goodbye, Yuki, my most beloved granddaughter and student," he whispers back. That nearly sends me bawling my eyes out. I may be 27 now since my birthday occurred recently, but I have known Sensei for most of my life, almost 6 years of it as his student. And now I will live thousands of miles away in Tennessee.

We pull apart, tears tracks and reddened eyes obvious on us both. I turn to leave, tightening my grip on Hisame. Trying not to look back as I leave. If I had, I would have seen Sensei staring at me with sad eyes, as if he was trying to memorize what I looked like.

…

When I reached our house Oto-san and Ka-san were standing on the front porch. Ka-san comes running, sweeping me up in a bear hug. I hug back, still a little upset about the fact that we are moving.

"Honey, your Oto-san and I-"

"-have been reassigned to the CDC is Georgia, I know, Ka-san, " I interrupt, "Sensei told me." Ka-san looks at me, then back at Oto-san. It is only then that I notice the van sitting in our front porch.

"Is that the moving van," I ask? I have already accepted that my parents had no control over what their bosses wanted them to do.

"No, Yuki...it is the car we will be taking to Tennessee."

"What...What about our things, the furniture, my guitar, the-"

"-Yuki, " this is where Oto-san interrupts, " The truck carrying our 'things' as you said has already departed for our new house. And yes, that includes your...collection." I practically slump over in relief, despite the fact that they had seen fit to not tell me about moving until the day of the event. My 'collection' is one of the most important things to me, besides my parents and-THUNK!

"...Mi-chan…*cough*...it's good to see you too," I weakly say, struggling to draw air into my lungs.

Midori is my...partner, I would never call her a pet. She was born 10 years ago when I found her in a park nearby, newly born and completely alone. Ever since then, I have taken care of her. I view her as a pseudo-daughter, or little sister. Midori has a lithe, feline body. Thin, long-furred legs contain deceptively small muscles, powerful enough to propel her forwards at speeds that exceed those of a cheetah. A tail the same length as her body, with long fur that fans out with it's movements. Her face is narrow and vaguely vulpine, with no whiskers and large eyes. Her eyes are what made me name her Midori. An unnamed by then Midori opened her eyes 2 days after I found her, revealing poison green irises. It was obvious what I had to name her then.

Coming out of my thoughts, I look down to see Midori is currently the size of a large dog with black fur. Her tail is whipping about, fur streaming behind. Oh, another thing about Midori is that she has absorbed a large amount of my chi from living so close to me since her birth. Using her enlarged chi reserves she can change size and color at will, increase her speed, senses and understand human language. She currently knows Japanese, Plautdietsch, English, and Spanish. We also have a mental link that we use to talk to each other and sense the other's emotions at will.

/Onee-san, we are moving to the East. Isn't this exciting?/ That's Mi-chan for you, excitable as always.

/It is, Midori, is there anything my parents didn't pack?/

/They forgot my weapons./I can hear the pout in her tone, despite the fact that her face is the wrong shape to pull it off.

/Well than go grab them, I will pack up your gauntlets and you can hold the kunai./She responds with a nod, getting up she shrinks to the size of a large chihuahua and bounces back through the door. I stand up and brush myself off, looking back to my Oto-san I see him holding out a large duffel-like bag most likely filled with some clothes and snacks for the road. I grab the strap and head towards the van.

Midori comes back out of the house just as I reach for the van door, opening it I set down the bag and reach out towards her. Cool metal meets my palms and I close my fingers around it, careful of any sharp edges. Opening the bag, I stick the bladed gauntlets inside and close it again. Chihuahua-sized Midori hops in with a small kunai clenched between her jaws. Stuffing the bag down under the driver's seat I close the door and buckle my seatbelt, Midori curling up in my lap with the kunai still in her mouth.

I stare out the window at our, now old, house. I suddenly have the strangest feeling that this is the last time I will ever live in such a peaceful setting. Shrugging of the feeling, _Kentucky isn't that violent_ , I listen as my parents climb in and start up the van. Settling in for a long drive, I watch as the house slowly becomes a distant dot on the horizon before it disappears.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Midori's size is now indicated by an animal, i.e. horse-Midori or large dog-Midori. Or I'll just state the animal size she is (i.e. dog-sized Midori). Japanese sentences will now be bolded to avoid confusion. Spanish will be underlined and Plautdietsch will be bolded and underlined. Thankfully no Plautdietsch will be spoken until much later in this fic. Also I went back and tidied up the first chapter a bit. Nothing major, I just fixed some spacing and stuff.

* * *

Chapter 2: Zombies? Really!?

It's been a week since we moved to Knoxville and I still haven't completely unpacked. As Tom-chan would have put it, my 'ninja senses have been tingling' the whole time, telling me that something is wrong. _I really miss Tom-chan, even though he was a complete stranger at first he became like an otouto to me...it doesn't matter, it is highly unlikely I will ever see him again. It's been 7 years since I last saw him_. Shaking myself, I look up and stop dead.

I was walking back to the house from a mall some miles away. Shopping bags in one hand with kitten-Midori in the pocket of my hoodie. In front of us was a...well, a walking corpse would be the most accurate description. Shredded clothes hung off an emaciated body; stringy, dirty hair over a thin face. Clouded eyes sunk deep into rotting skin with pieces ripped off or barely hanging on. A piece of metal sticks out of it's chest, black and red liquid staining it. It's head hangs at an odd angle, teeth gnashing as it reaches towards me, shuffling closer on bent legs.

It is only feet away, moaning, when I react, pulling a kunai from my pocket and stabbing the...thing in one of its dead, cloudy eyes. For a second it stays standing, kunai lodged in its eye socket. Terrified, I rear back, convinced it is about to attack me when it crumples to the ground like a puppet whose strings were cut. A harsh exhale erupts from me, _was I even breathing?_ , as I crouch down and pull the kunai out with a wet shclik, blackish-green fluid covering the blade. _Kimochi_. I wipe it off on the tatters of cloth covering the zombie, for what else could this possibly be, and push it back into my jean pocket.

There had been reports on the news channel about a new virus going around causing people to attack and eat others. I didn't think much of it at the time. They called it the ZN1 virus, apparently it also makes them turn into zombies.

/ **Midori, come out, you need to see this**./

/ **Onee-san, what is it, are we being attacked**?/ Midori sounds curious as she climbs out of the hoodie's pocket and into my arms which I had crossed at some point. She stiffens, fur spiking out with a deep growl as she stares at the zombie./ **What is that...abomination**?/

/ **That, Midori, is what humans call a zombie. They are dead, but they still walk and attack the living. Hungry for flesh and never satisfied. At least that is what I have gathered from watching zombie movies, I have no clue what real-life zombies are like yet. Though I am pretty sure this one was trying to eat me**./ Midori stares at me, then at the zombie, then back to me. She jumps down out of my arms and crawls closer to the now dead-dead zombie, circling around and sniffing at the thing's skin and clothes.

/ **Should I memorize this scent? Maybe all of these 'zombies' smell like death and rot**?/

" **Good idea, it would be in our best interest to know where these zombies are located** ," I say out loud. I notice that there is another zombie walking down the street next to us. It had frozen when I spoke, then turned and started to shuffle quickly towards us. I take out the same kunai again and throw it by the hilt, the blade embedding itself in the former male's skull. I make my way over and retrieve the kunai yet again.

/ **Apparently they are attracted to sound** / She huffs at the obvious conclusion as she grows larger. Medium dog-Midori sniffs at the air, her hackles instantly rising as a rumbling growl tears out of her throat.

/ **Onee-san, the smell of death is everywhere. I can hear screaming as well and car horns going off**./ Well, that tells me that I am not the only one seeing this. Midori doesn't count, we are linked mentally so she can see what I do and vice versa.

A literal horde of people comes running down the street shouting and screaming with dozens of zombies loping after them, the sounds no doubt drawing more of the things here. I run towards where they are running away from, some of them trying to stop me.

"Are you crazy!"

"Don't, they'll eat you too!"

"If you want to die that's your decision, crazy ass-AAHHHH!" That one got jumped by a zombie underneath a car, its teeth tearing into his leg. A small number of the zombies break off from chasing the other humans and fall onto the man, hands ripping into his guts as they feed on him.

As I was not moving or making much sound when I stopped running to watch, the zombies ran right past me chasing the louder and larger group. Midori stared at them from my side, green irises taking in every detail possible. Both of us had the same thought, _they are also drawn to easy prey, if one zombie grabs someone or something then others will come to eat as well_.

Then something occurred to me. _What about my parents_? _They might be in danger_! Midori increases size again, now in her largest form. I climb up onto her back and wrap my arms around her neck as we had decided not to have her wear her cloth scarf.

Arms secured, Midori immediately sets off at a pace equivalent to a horse sprinting. I know she could go faster but is unsure if I would be able to hang on without assistance. People are too preoccupied with the zombies to notice the weird-eyed Asian girl riding a size-changing cat creature down the street. As Midori rapidly returns us to our house, a startling realization occurs to me. _They were right, my parents were actually right_! _It may not seem to be much of an apocalypse right now, but if more of those things show up people will start to riot and governments will likely start to collapse_.

We finally turn onto our street. There are currently no zombies, _really long name that I should shorten somehow_ , but that doesn't mean that they weren't here or that they would stay away for long. I hop off of Midori as she shrinks down to a smaller size. Fox-Midori and I run up the porch and to the door. I pause, the door is wide open.

" **Midori** …," I start hesitantly. Scared of her response I rush into the house only to stop dead. There, blood covered clothes and all, are my parents, throats ripped out and guts strewn about the living room. I am in shock, I know I am. Then they twitched as inhuman moans and snarls poured out of their savaged throats; cloudy, dead eyes staring at me. Ka-san is the first to move, lunging towards me with Oto-san right behind her. Only training forces me to dodge, ducking under her clawing arms and leaping to the side away from Oto-san.

I freeze then, the sight of my parents dead bodies attacking me sending ice water throughout my veins. What happened next would help me get through this and understand these things better. Midori finally shows up, battle claws over her legs. Her battle claws, and some of my weapons, are made of a new magnesium based alloy developed by some researchers at North Carolina State University. It is lightweight like aluminum, yet as hard as titanium.

Gauntlet-like pieces start at the top of her lower forelegs, extending down to her 'wrists' where they connect to a curved piece that covers her entire paw. Where her claws would be are long, curved blades with a space cut out for her claws to extend. The size of the gauntlets depends on her current size, they are imbued with chi along with all of her belongings which allows them to change size as she does.

With a yowl, Midori slams her paw into the stomach of Oto-san, blades sinking deep into his flesh. It, to both our shock, barely seems to affect him as he struggles to reach Midori by walking into the blades, nails scrabbling against the metal. She backs up, blades lodged in his spine most definitely. Ka-san turns to attack Midori, teeth snapping into her fur. I realize then that these zombies are not my parents. My parents would _never_ attack me or Midori, not ever. My parents are dead, these zombies are simply mindless beings attempting to eat my sister and I using the dead bodies of my parents. Rage sweeps through me, I grab the fire poker and stab the first zombie in the head. It falls, whatever was animating it no longer able to. Midori seems to realize something and brings up her other paw, blades slicing through the second zombie's skull. It, too, stops moving, still stuck on her blades.

She slowly brings the paw with the zombie stuck on it down, resting the tips of her blades on the floor. Using her other paw, she pushes on the body's chest, slowly moving it down. When it reaches the floor, Midori pulls out of the zombie with a wet crunch, green-black blood caking her weapons.

/ **Are you okay**?/ I ask, hoping she is unhurt. She stares at me, a feeling of disbelief flowing into me through our bond.

/ **I should be asking you that, your parents turned into zombies and attacked us, how are you even remotely okay**?!/ She sounds slightly hysterical, no surprise there.

/ **Yes my parents are dead, but those zombies were not my parents, they were beings that desired our deaths so we eliminated a threat** / And I truly believe this. Those things are dead, nothing can shrug off a blade to the gut and keep attacking. I simply don't know how they turned into zombies, I saw them just a few hours ago. However much I don't want to, I crouch down and examine Ka-san's body. The most glaring injury was a large bite mark on her shoulder and teeth marks in the flesh around the hole in her throat. / **Apparently you become a zombie in one of two ways. One, you get bitten or otherwise injured by a zombie. Two, you die of natural or unnatural causes not due to a zombie with no head trauma.** / Midori leans over my shoulder, the weight a comfort for my slightly frazzled nerves. Having to kill the zombies of your parents will do that to you.

/ **I understand the first way, the bite marks are pretty obvious. But how do you know that just dying without being killed by a zombie will turn you into one**?/ I can understand how she is skeptical, I would be too if someone came up and told me that I would become a zombie if I died even if there _were_ zombies running around. I decide to answer out loud.

" **Remember that first zombie we saw** ," I ask rhetorically. She nods anyway, showing that she is following my thought process. " **Well, I remember seeing a story on the news this morning before we left about a woman being killed in a car accident by a piece of metal going through her chest. They showed her picture and it was the same person as the zombie we killed. She wasn't killed by a zombie and yet she became one**." Understanding shoots through Midori and into me.

/ **So that's why. Wakatta, no need to elaborate.** / That's my Midori, so serious and professional during battle yet as sweet as a puppy outside of it. / **Onee-san, we should pack as many supplies and weapons as we can carry, we have no idea if this will last a long time or if it's permanent. No doubt anarchy will soon begin to reign if this continues for long. It seems your parents were right about there being an apocalypse.** / I silently chuckle that we thought the same thing, outwardly I nod.

Suddenly there is an emergency broadcast signal coming from the television which had been playing Dora the Explorer until now, background noise during the whole depressing scene. (AN: I can't remember the exact wording to the broadcast from Z-Nation and they never played one during TWD, and I'm not watching an episode just to find out; combining TWD and Z-N info will be great fun :) ) A male voice calmly states the following as Midori shrinks down to her kitten size, "This is an emergency broadcast, the President is dead, the ZN1 virus has gone global. The government has fallen. It is calculated that only 10% of our species will survive this initial outbreak. If you can hear me, stay indoors." It just repeated after that, _probably a recording_ , I think.

With that Mi-chan went straight towards the stairs with me right behind her. At some point she had changed her coloring to a blue-gray, her favorite color to be (AN: think Russian Blue cat, they are so pretty). We reach my room and I am immediately assaulted by the sight of multiple boxes. _I forgot, everything is still pretty much packed, we just have to find the right boxes which will be easy since my parents labeled everything_. Mi-chan nudges me towards one of the larger boxes 'Yuki's Collection' written in large letters on the side. _Finally this day is looking up, with this soon-to-be apocalypse no one will look twice at me carrying weapons out in the open_.

With all the laws about weapons in America, we had to hide every single one I ever bought, only bringing wooden practice ones to my classes. It always rubbed me the wrong way that I was learning how to use weapons that I would never be able to carry in public without having to worry about being arrested. Now if a cop tries to arrest me I can just say that I don't want to get eaten alive by the Z's. _Wait, I have to ask Midori if she likes my nickname for the zombies_. A nudge to the shoulder tells me that she does.

With that done with, I grab one of Midori's legs and move it towards the box. She gets the idea and slashes open the duct tape covering the flaps of the box. Lifting the flaps, dozens of different weapons are revealed. As Midori heads downstairs to block off the doors and windows I dump the box out, metal and wood tumbling across the carpet. I realize then that even though we could take them all, it would be impractical and leave little room for other necessities. The decision on which ones to bring is surprisingly easy. Take the ones I'm the most skilled in or that can be used for another purpose.

The first one I grab is my ebony bo staff. My parents wanted me to get an oak one, it was less heavy and they didn't want me to strain myself. I, being stubborn at the time, convinced them that using a harder, heavier staff would increase my strength and make it more difficult for someone else to use if they got their hands on it. Especially since it is as long as I am tall. The next thing I decide on are 24 kunai, not only are they easy to throw they can also be used in gardening and as a climbing tool. The only problem is they are also pretty easy to lose which is why I am taking so many. There is no way I am not taking Hisame, it is the last thing Jiji ever gave me and a sword can do just as much damage as a gun and is much more silent. _I wouldn't even know what to do with a gun besides hitting someone over the head with it_ , I think, struggling not to just grab everything in the box and leave it at that.

Watching Midori slash through those zombies earlier reminds me of one of my very first weapon purchases, leaning over I sort through the pile. I find it next to a wooden bat, my combat X-claw (AN: if you want to see it for yourself, look it up). It is basically some brass knuckles made out of steel with two grips instead of four. The grip is longer as well with a padded base you center in your palm. Three blades are attached to the front with serrated edges on the back. I spot my pair of steel tessen. Tessen are basically fans that you can use in combat, they can also be used as, well, a fan. I have one plain dark blue one and another more elaborate one, black with pale blue sakura petals. The last three I grab are my homemade whip, a single sai, and the three 'ninja spikes'. The whip is just a metal chain I found lying around, I fashioned two handles and had them welded to either end of the chain by a friend of mine. The sai I grabbed because there are a variety of things it could be used for. And the 'ninja spikes' are just throwing darts, not the dartboard kind, black with a ribbed handle.

I lay out the chosen weapons on my bed, deciding to arm myself after getting dressed in more appropriate gear. Reaching the closet I duck down and grab a handle, pulling out a chest I unlock it. Inside are two sets of chain mail my parents gave me for my last birthday a few weeks ago. They told me they bought it 'just in case'. _And look where we are now_ , I shake myself, _now is not the time for reflection_. I shuck off all my clothes and get some new undergarments on, putting on a white tank top then the first set of chainmail over that. I stick the other set in a white messenger bag along with some other pairs of undergarmnets. Then I grab some of my shirts with masks attached to them. Simple things that are a part of the shirts themselves, I simply have to pull them up my neck when I want to and they cover my entire lower face up to my cheekbones and the end of my nose. I stick some of them in the bag as well, not bothering with colors besides dark. I take a black one and pull it on over the chain mail, hiding it, I pull the mask up and over my neck then face. Next are some black and grey cargo pants with extra pockets attached at the thighs and calves. I pull on a dark grey pair and again stick some others in the bag. Next some long sleeved shirts, hoodies, and sweaters, stuffing the heavier ones and such down in the bag. I take a light grey long-sleeved to put on over the mask-shirt. Thankfully, most of the my long-sleeved shirts have hoods, including this one. I pause, then fish some tanks out of the closet and stuff them down with the other clothes. Leaving the bag open, I grab some nearby water bottles and head to the bathroom to fill them up. Some go in the bag and I wrap the bottles up in the clothes, leaving a single bottle out to stick in one of my calf pockets. The bag is zipped shut, ready to be put on.

Rooting around the bottom of my closet rewards me with my black combat boots. They go up to mid-calf and there is a strap inside each that I sewed in to hold a knife. Sitting on the bed, I lean over and stick my socked feet into the boots. Then I grab two hunting knifes from the weapons piled on the floor and stick them each into one of the boots. I zip the right one up then tighten the three buckles, repeating the process on the left. Standing, I make sure that the knives are not visible.

Satisfied with that I pull out one of the dresser drawers and take out the harness within. The harness is made of thick brown leather straps and has an area on the back made to hold two weapons, one over each shoulder. I secure it then stick my bo staff in one so that one end of it hovers over my right shoulder with the other down by my left leg. Hisame goes in the other, hilt behind my left shoulder with the end of the sheath somewhere near my right leg.

12 of the kunai end up in my pockets, 6 in the right thigh pocket and 6 in the left calf pocket. 4 are stuck inside the messenger bag with my clothes while another 4 are clipped onto a belt loop on the left side of my pants with a purple carabiner pram clip from my desk. On second thought, I grab the entire package of clips and stuff them down one of my pockets as well. The last 4 kunai are placed into knife straps on the leather harness, resting against my chest. I grab a leather pouch from the floor and attach it to a belt, then thread that through my belt loops so that the pouch is now hanging against my right thigh. It is the perfect size for my tessen, folding them I carefully slide both into the pouch then push the single metal button on the pouch flap closed.

The X-claw is attached to a yellow clip by its handle string, then secured next to the kunai on a different loop. The sai I simply hook under the belt, the yoku in front with the monouchi behind. The 3 throwing darts came with an arm holster that I attach to my right forearm over the grey shirt. A simple twisting motion of my hand will have any one dart in my grip.

This just leaves the chain whip. _It would make to much noise to just hang on my belt, maybe I could...I have an idea_. I loosen my belt, then pull the waistband of my pants out. Lowering one end of the whip down my right pant leg I bend over slightly, sticking my hand down and looping the chain twice around the chainmail against my leg. With that done I grab one of the clips from my pocket, a black one, and hook it to the chain link closest to the handle in my hand. The clip is then attached to one of the many loops of fabric inside my pants, particularly the one closest to the waistband near my groin. Bending over at the waist, I tuck the other end of the chain inside my right boot opposite the knife. _There, everything is attached and packed, all that is left is to grab some food and decide what to do next … wait, what about my phone and ipod_?

I hesitate, _it's not like I need them, they would only take up space we need for food and stuff_. Nevertheless I grab both of them and stick them in one of the waist pockets in my pants, along with their chargers and some smaller solar batteries. Solar batteries are batteries that my maternal grandmother invented when she was young, or so Ka-san told me. She never patented them, preferring to keep useful stuff like that in the family only. They run on solar power and to recharge them you simply sit them in a sunny spot. There are also charging jacks for a variety of devices and the batteries themselves can act as generators. A few of the larger batteries get stuffed in the messenger bag. _Now I can go down and see what Midori's bringing and grab some food._

I grab the surprisingly-not-yet-full white messenger bag and head downstairs where Mi-chan has already placed what she is bringing on the kitchen table. She had knocked over two of the bookshelves to block both doors, and the curtains are drawn. I can hear scratching sounds at the windows and front door, growls and hissing as well. Ignoring it for now, I decide to have a look at what Midori had decided on. Her personal kunai was obviously going, and her battle claws, some brushes, along with a selection of chi-infused scarves and bandanas, surprisingly she had also grabbed a few photos. I made a note to look at those later, who knows what events she had deemed were important to remember.

The photos are put inside a waterproof bag which is then stuffed down my left thigh pocket, careful of bending them. Her chi-saddle is still in the hall closet, I set it on her now horse-sized back and tighten then buckle the strap. There are 4 small saddlebags attached, 2 of them I fill with her scarves. The other 2 I plan on filling with food. Luckily, whatever is in the saddlebags shrinks along with the saddle. As soon as the bags are untied from the saddle they grow larger, as I found out the first time I removed a tiny saddlebag from an equally tiny saddle.

/ **Onee-san, what foods should we bring?** /

/ **Anything that will last a long time, canned foods mostly.** /

/ **Wakatta.** /

We set about and grabbed pretty much every can in the pantry. While there were not many it was enough to feed me for a few weeks, Midori prefers to hunt her food. If we get desperate we can see how things are, if it's okay to scavenge by then. Half the cans end up in Midori's two other saddlebags, the rest find a place in amongst my clothes. The messenger bag is now completely full of food, clothes, weapons, batteries, and water. I step into the strap, careful not to dislodge any of my weapons as I pull it up and over my left shoulder, the bag against my right side.

/ **Mi-chan, you should probably wear your battle claws, there is no telling how many Z's have taken residence in our back yard.** / With a nod she pulls her battle claws on, the solid metal likely a comfort to her. The bookshelf leaning against the back door is slowly removed, careful of making any noise to attract the Z's. We are just about to leave when the recording being played on the TV was suddenly switched over to a live channel. This time it was a calm female voice, "If you can hear me, head towards Atlanta, the government has set up a shelter. There is food, water, and protection. Do not panic. I repeat…" The lady repeated the message twice before the clip went back to that guy saying the president was dead.

/ **Onee-san, are we going to go to Atlanta?** /

/ **No.** /

/ **Donna riyuu de?** /

/ **Nazenara, there would be a great number of people heading there as well. Not only would they attract hordes of Z's, they may try to steal and/or take our weapons.** /

A simple nod is her response. I turn and open the door slowly, poking my head out to check for any Z's. There is one near the edge of the forest, but it hasn't noticed us yet. I sedately walk out and turn towards the house, Mi-chan right beside me. A simple tensing of my muscles sends chi rushing through my legs, with a single leap I am on the roof, Midori jumping up right after me. With that I take a lighter out that I had found in the kitchen whilst searching for food, flicking it on I lean over the edge of the roof and set the curtains on fire in my bedroom. I head over to the other sides of the house and repeat the only will this possibly attract Z's, it will also burn any that do come to ash along with my parents' bodies.

Both of them had once told me at different times that you always burn the bodies of the dead when dealing with a new, out of control disease that is either highly infectious and/or extremely deadly. When or if a cure was developed no one would want to see another outbreak of the virus simply because it had lied dormant underground for a few years. A cure is not a vaccine, and after a time people would start to believe that it had been completely eradicated only to have the whole process begin anew because the bodies of past infected had been unearthed years after their burial.

Midori and I leap over to the house across the street, looking back to our now on fire house with some Z's lumbering over towards the flames. They apparently were attracted either to the light, heat, sound, or all three made by the flames. I can't be sure. With that little tidbit tucked away for later use, we run across the roofs heading north-west. Quickly we reach the edge of the buildings, nothing but small forests and farmland for miles. Along the way we saw multiple people at different places either killing or being killed by Z's and a ton of cars racing in different directions.

Leaping down from the last building in a crouch, _that building was pretty tall, would've killed someone with little chi_ , we quickly leave the town behind in our dust. While Midori will always be faster than I am, my top speed is still pretty impressive. I can run at 70 mph for 2 days before collapsing and do that speed every day if I sleep and eat between running stints. And by top speed, I mean the speed I can run at for the longest period of time, I can run faster it just won't be for long.

/ **Onee-san, if we aren't going to the Atlanta shelter than where are we going?** /

/ **We are going to check on a friend of my Ka-san's, apparently she is a lawyer.** /

/ **Why would your Ka-san need a lawyer?** /

/ **She didn't, they met at a coffee shop Ka-san visited while they were looking for a house down here. Her name is Michonne and she lives in Glasgow, Kentucky with her boyfriend and 2 year old child.** / (AN: I found on TWD wiki that Michonne was a lawyer, I never bothered with watching season six or seven, five sucked enough. Everything past the prison falling basically sucked, bad. I had to force myself to keep watching, and only because I have a hard time grasping Daryl's, and by extension Merle's, speech patterns.)

/ **How are we going to find her?** /

/ **I can sense a very large gathering of chi in the direction we are going, Glasgow is northwest of us. Our best bet is to scout out the area and see if Michonne is there. I don't know what she looks like so you would have to listen for her name being mentioned. If she is there we talk to her and leave after making sure she can take care of herself, if she isn't we simply leave sooner. We should be there in a little over 2 hours.** / We talk no more after that, simply speeding across the countryside. 

* * *

We reach the place where the chi signal had come from, only to find chaos. Z's had somehow gotten inside, dead bodies walking and otherwise littered the encampment. Watching from some tree branches as the living were quickly being overtaken by the dead, I sigh, _if Michonne was here she is dead now_. I turn to leave when I pause. _Did I just hear…?_

" **Mi-chan?** " She faces the camp fully, ears twitching.

/ **I hear a child crying, and smell great fear.** / That decides it, I jump from the branch to the top of the fence then to a roof where I can finally hear the child crying. Hooking my hands on the roof's edge I swing myself down and crash through a window. Luckily the child is in the room I had crashed into. Unluckily, there were also two Z's about to eat him. I quickly draw Hisame with my left hand and cut through the zombies' heads in a single motion, the child being showered by their blood. Worried about what ingesting a zombie's blood would do, I locate a piece of cloth to wipe the kid's face, careful of setting off a tantrum as I set Hisame down on a nearby table. I take the time to study my new ward. The child is of African-American descent with curly, black hair; brown skin; and innocent, dark brown eyes. He doesn't appear starved in the slightest, I assume he is male as his parents likely had him in a blue onesie for a reason.

" **Hello there chibi, how are you. Do you want to come stay with me and my sister. We will keep you from being eaten by the Z's, don't you worry your tiny little head none,** " I practically coo as I pick him up and bounce him on my hip. I don't know what it is about kids, but I love them and they tend to love me. It's like all my girly, maternal instincts are locked up in my psyche until a little kid or baby crosses my path when they bust out and flood me with warm fuzzies and baby talk. I keep a careful eye on him to keep my kunai out of his hands, not only are they sharp, but babies are curious creatures that stick everything in their mouths.

As he looks to be around 2 or 3 years old I set him down in a nearby laundry basket filled with towels. Removing some of them is easy as I set Chibi-kun down, taking one of the towels to wipe Hisame off. I have to be watchful and not allow my weapons collect dust and grime. With the zombies running around it will be very difficult if not impossible to find someone with the knowledge to remove rust or stains. I keep an eye on the child as I clean Hisame, carefully getting rid of every trace of blood. With that done with Hisame goes back in its sheath as I pick up Chibi-kun.

I move to explore the house, deducing that one of those Z's had most likely been the boy's father. And since they were living here, they would have baby supplies that I needed to care for the child. I finally find a door with a baby-ish sign over it, 'Andre's Room' written in flowing letters.

" **So, your name is Andre, huh, Chibi-kun. I will have to call you An-kun now won't I,** " I sing song to the newly nicknamed An-kun. With that bit of news over with, I knock on the door to make sure there isn't a Z or more behind it. I walk in when nothing happens for a few minutes, knowing that there are still a number of Z's outside. To our extreme fortune, a baby bag was already packed with everything Andre would need: diapers, baby powder, bottles, formula, burping towels, and some clothes.

Getting the bag on the same way I did with the messenger bag, I head back to the room where Andre was with those 2 Z's. I perch on the edge of the window sill, gathering sufficient chi in my legs to launch both myself and An-kun to the top of the fence. After we land on the fence, it is simply a matter of finding where Midori has wandered off to. She had remained in her horse-sized form, changing her coloring to a mottled dark green and brown to better hide herself.

/ **Are wa dare, Onee-san?** /

" **Midori, Andre. Andre, Midori. Now that you are acquainted, let us leave this graveyard**." I secure myself in the saddle, An-kun tied to it and me by a length of rope I had found while running here.

/ **Where to now, Onee-san?** / I smirk, a ridiculous thought occurring to me. I can go wherever I want to and no one can tell me I can't.

/ **I always wanted to visit Versailles, Kentucky. See if it was anything like the real Versailles.** / I project with no end of sarcasm. Midori chuffs, then heads north-east./ **What are you doing, Mi-chan?** /

/ **Versailles, Kentucky is better than nowhere. We might as well hunker down there for a while and have Andre get used to us, specifically me.** / Her reasoning is sound. I have no desire to cross likely Z-infested lands to get to California where my sensei is probably dead or dying. There are literally no goals for us, just survive and take care of Andre. And Andre will have to get used to seeing Midori change colors and sizes, thankfully he is only a baby so it will be easy for him to acclimate.

Course decided we head off, never once looking back to see an African-American woman running towards the camp we just left, fear written across her face.

TBC

* * *

AN: So, that just happened. I had no idea Yuki was going to rescue Andre, my muses kidnapped my computer and wrote this without my supervision. Lobo was all for rescuing Andre. Red had to be convinced that with the way we are planning things, Michonne's only reason to stay would be if something or someone was keeping her there. Ergo, Andre. Still not sure whether or not I should save Amy, kill Lori quicker, but then what about Judy, will the whole Shane-goes-crazy thing still go down? What about the pairing? I really only have three people in mind for the main pairing:

 **1\. Daryl** , I know there are a lot of Daryl/Oc fics but he is my favorite all time character. A surprisingly complex character that I can write as slightly OOC without it being too unbelievable.

 **2\. Merle** , I know he's old, but does age really matter when you're more likely to die by zombie or getting shot then with old age? If I go this route, Merle will get very OOC. I never got a grip on his character on the show and I'm not sticking Yuki with a racist, sexist, crass old man...just a foul-mouthed old man, the racism and sexism will be pretty much eradicated after living with Yuki for a while. And there is no way I'm getting rid of his vocabulary, some of it is hilarious. If she doesn't end up with Merle I'll probably just kill him off at some point, make it a real tear jerker...or not ;) vote to find out.

 **3\. 10k** , I know that right now Yuki only seems him as a little brother, but that could easily be changed. Unless you want them to stay as siblings only?

If you guys have any ideas about pairings you want to see just p.m. me or review the fic. More reviews will encourage the muses to spit out more words quicker.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Rick Grimes, Stubborn Idiot and Former Cop

* * *

We had been in Versailles for a little less than two months, almost 59 days to be more precise. Andre has taken to Midori like a flame to wood, he always gets this dopey, baby smile on his face when he sees her. Unfortunately, our luck had run out in this town. Anything of value had been cleaned out already, whoever had once lived in this town took pretty much every useful thing with them. There wasn't any food, water, weapons, or even clothes anywhere. And after 58 days, dozens of Z's had rolled in. Some literally.

" **We need to leave, now** ," I say gravely. The food we brought with us from Knoxville was running low, and there was nothing here to resupply with.

/ **Agreed, how about we pull out the map?** / The map is a map of America we found in the house we were staying in along with a calendar, so our stay hasn't been completely useless. I sit on the couch, Andre in my lap with fox-Midori to my left, and spread out the map.

" **The nearest town with an interesting name is Cynthiana, we have nowhere else to be so we'll go there.** " And really, what else is there to do. Our group is too small to take a large building from the Z's, Andre is too young for a long journey, and Midori and I are too hungry to run a long distance as well due to rationing the small amount of food left; everything is too much or too little.

We pack the few possessions we had unpacked, Midori growing in order to let me and Andre ride her. She shifts colors halfway into us getting on, from a chestnut brown to her usual blue-gray. With the dark blue scarf she wears the coloring is emphasized, green irises practically glowing. The same rope is tied around myself and Andre, then we are off. Midori bursts through the door, battle claws raised. A few Z's that had been in the front yard are quickly cut down, blood and zombie bits splashing against the ground. I simply hang on to the saddle, an arm around An-kun as I leave the zombies to Midori.

She jumps across an ivy-covered fence, landing in the middle of a street before setting off at a fast sprint. We fly past a few Z's, they try to grab us but are too slow. I lean forwards, Andre secured in my arm, as we make our way to Cynthiana.

* * *

It been a few hours since we holed up at some house in Cynthiana. I put blankets over the windows with Mi-chan's help and use the rest to make a sort of nest for us to sleep in all piled together. The beds are too heavy to move and I want to know if or when the Z's manage to get in the moment it happens. The house had a few pairs of sunglasses left behind that I confiscated, glad to be able to hide my eyes. If we do run into people, I had a plan, which didn't involve them running or attacking me for my weird eyes. With the zombies everywhere, anything with weird eyes is a threat. I would be the first to approach them, leaving Andre somewhere with Midori. Once they had proven trustworthy, Midori would come and join me with Andre. If that didn't send them into hysterics I would then take off the glasses if I hadn't already done so earlier than planned. I still haven't come to a decision about whether or not I'm going to tell anyone of my abilities or Midori's.

When we first got here I noticed that there was a large hospital. Since it looked pretty intact, I decided to check it out and see if there was any medical supplies left inside. None of us were sick or injured at this time, but it was unavoidable eventuality in this new world. Midori stayed behind to guard Andre from danger, leaving me the monumental task of carrying any supplies found by myself. Grabbing two empty saddlebags I gear up in all black then head out, leaving behind my bo staff this time and the clip full of kunai. They're empty because we decided that lugging around so many scarves was idiotic. Now Midori only has 5 of her favorite scarves, all of them stuck in among one of the food saddlebags that had been slightly emptied. I soon find a random baseball hat in the street to pull over my head, red with an Ohio State symbol on the front. Luckily it is clean, well…clean in that there are no mystery stains.

After a short run, I slow to a walk near the side of the hospital where the sight of hundreds of bodies assaults me. Dead-dead bodies, not Z's. They are wrapped in white cloths, red stains around their heads with flies buzzing around everywhere. A broken helicopter was to my left, and a truck overflowing with wrapped bodies some feet away closer to the hospital. I've never been more glad to wear a mask and sunglasses, the flies could get in my eyes and I would rather not have to smell whatever scent is in the air here.

There is a metal door up a small set of concrete stairs, a knock and long wait proves that there are no Z's close by inside. I open the door, only to be greeted with the sight of a flight of stairs leading up to pitch black heights. _Maybe the helicopter has something I could use to see, if not I can always just pool some chi in my eyes._ The only reason I'm not doing so right now is that it always gives me a headache afterwards and I don't have any pain meds.

Luckily for my head, the helicopter has a flashlight in it, clicking it on proves that the batteries still have a charge. Back at the door in seconds, I walk in and start up the stairs, jumping from rail to rail. I randomly pick a door to go through, balancing on the rail I had just landed on. I press the hand holding the flashlight to the metal of the door, the other knocks against it. Silence, good. I open the door with my free hand, clicking the flashlight off with the other. A pair of doors to the left instantly grabs my attention, a glaring message 'Don't Open, Dead Inside' painted in big, black letters. A plank of wood behind the chain across the handles further impresses the point that I didn't want to meet whatever's behind them.

I quickly pick my way past bullet-riddled and blood-splattered walls, careful of the glass on the floor and chunks of ceiling and wires hanging down. Another pair of doors looms ahead, on the other side I can see the mutilated dead body of a woman, lower half gone and guts hanging out. Turning away, I head down the hallway to the right. A quick check of a nurse's station yields only a box of matches and some scrap paper that I stick in a pocket. Suddenly there is a thudding sound from one of the rooms. I freeze, then hear some voice calling for a nurse.

Raising the flashlight like a club, I make my way to where the voice had come from. A lone hospital gurney blocks a door from opening, which I promptly move with my free hand. Opening the door reveals a frankly surprising sight. There, on the floor of the hospital room, is a man. A very sickly looking, Caucasian man clad only in boxers and a loose hospital gown. A gauze bandage is wrapped around his torso. I can only stand dumbfounded as the man stares up at me, obviously taking in my, to him, strange clothing and numerous weapons.

"Who are you, where's the *cough* nurse?" Ahh, so he speaks English, albeit with a croak hinting of a dry throat. Most in this country do, especially the American's. Unfortunately they usually only speak English, _pity, I prefer speaking Japanese or Spanish_.

"My name is unimportant, and there are no nurses. They are all most likely dead," I say, a slight Japanese accent suffusing the words. He startles, not able to tell my gender under the mask, sunglasses, and multiple layers of clothing. Hat notwithstanding, quite a number of men wear their hair long.

"Miss, I don't know *cough* who you are, but you are talking to a policeman-" _didn't know there were any police left_ "-and I've just woken up from getting _shot_ *cough* to being in this hospital. This is not the time to be joking."

"I am not 'joking', this hospital has been abandoned since long before I came here. Any nurses who were employed here at one time are now either dead, hiding, or worse." He stares at me, still attempting to discount my words. I gesture around the room, "Does this look like the room of a fully operational hospital?"

Finally he turns, gaze flicking from the frozen clock to the dead flowers to the disabled machines. A thin layer of dust covers everything, footprints and streaks showing where the man had attempted to stand only to fall. Aside from me, no one has been here in a long time. I can see when the realization hits, his head falls forwards, chi filling with shock. I may be a stranger to him, but no one deserves to wake up to this world alone. He was likely in a coma, a friend of his must have blocked the door with that gurney to give him a chance of survival.

The start of trembling moves me, slowly walking over to crouch down and wrap an arm around him in a sideways hug. Tensed muscles under my hand tell me of his unease, along with his tightly coiled chi. For a moment I'm afraid I had made a mistake when he moves, head leaning onto my shoulder slightly.

"It will be alright, we will find you a weapon and some food. I am not so sure you are ready for what the world has in store for you just yet. After you can defend yourself, do whatever you want to," I whisper softly, trying to calm his no doubt frayed nerves. The trembling stops as he sits up straight, pale face turning to me with a puzzled expression.

"What are you talking about? Why would I need a weapon; I can defend myself, I am a policeman, Miss." I can understand his confusion, no doubt he was shot before the world went to hell.

"I think the best way to understand is to show you what I speak of." I help him up, obviously his muscles had atrophied during the coma. _Wait, if his friend had enough time to block the door maybe they also left behind some clothes or a weapon_. Glancing around the room shows a partially open closet near the bathroom door. Helping … I don't actually know his name.

"What is your name," I ask?

"Rick…Grimes," Rick-san answers, tacking on his name after a small pause. Oh wait, Americans always say their family name last. Living with only Midori for so long has caused me to forget that. Dear Kami, my senseis would have smacked me upside the head for that and Ka-san would have scolded me for my poor manners.

"Well, Grimes-san, if you could sit for a few seconds I will check to see if your friend helped anymore than they already have." With yet another puzzled look on his face Grimes-san sits down. With that little worry relieved I move over to the closet. Inside is a policeman's uniform with a gun holster already attached and occupied, a simple black handgun poking out. There are also a pair of shoes and a small, Naruto Shippuden lunchbox. Ooohh, whoever owns this lunchbox has good taste, Naruto is awesome. Opening the lunchbox shows that it is full of food. Some of the food has gone bad, but most is still edible. There is a note alongside the food, English words covering it.

"Grimes-san, there appears to be a note for you, do you want me to read it aloud?"

"There's a *cough* note for me? *cough, cough* Sure, go ahead." With permission granted I start to read. It is difficult due to it being in a language I learned after four others, and the sentences themselves are shaky. Slowly, I manage to recite the following.

…

Brother,

I'm so sorry, I couldn't save you. The machines turned off and for a second I thought you had died. I felt your breathing, you cannot believe the relief that went through me just then. Walkers are right outside in the hallway, I couldn't carry you and make it out of here alive. I've grabbed the lunchbox I brought with me, it's Carl's, and put it in the closet where I stuck one of my spare uniforms earlier. I left behind a gun, hopefully you find these things when you wake up. I'm gonna block the door once I leave, make sure there are no Walkers outside once you get situated.

-Shane

…

"Do you know this Shane-san person, Grimes-san, or Carl-san?"

"Yeah … yeah, me and Shane grew up together. Carl's my son, he's almost 12 now." Well that explains it. Harsh coughing from Grimes-san reminds me that the man has _been in a coma_. He _needs_ to get food and water in, the sooner the better. I quickly pull out a water bottle and hand it over. A grateful look is shot my way before he downs the whole thing in one go. As I take back the empty bottle, I can see he looks slightly refreshed. Confusion shoots through his chi signature, I brace myself for the questions as I stick the bottle in the same pocket as the matches.

"What does he mean by 'Walker', is there a new terrorist group or something?" I wince, _always the hard questions first_ , before answering.

"No, not a terrorist group. I assume he is talking about the same entities I call Z's." I am avoiding the question and by the look on Grimes-san's face he can tell.

"And what are Z's?"

Sigh. Well, best to get this over with quickly.

"Z or Z's plural are the nicknames I came up with for the…zombies." A deadpan look is his response. Mine would be too if someone had told me that only a few months ago.

"Zombies…as in flesh eating, walking dead, zombies." I nod.

"Yes." He seems to grow annoyed, chi filling with disbelief and slight anger.

"I thought I said-"

"This is not a joke," I interrupt, tone cold and deadly serious, "My parents were employees at the CDC in Georgia, they were probably some of the first to know of the ZN1 virus. I found them almost two months ago in our house, throats torn open, dead. They attacked me. If it had not been for a close friend of mine, we would not be having this conversation now." That seems to shut him up, pale face somehow growing even paler. I can still sense disbelief, but the anger is gone.

I had completely come to terms with my parents deaths a few days ago. While I did care for them, I also resented how they had treated me at a young age. Forced to attend advanced martial arts classes, wear contacts every day, and having knowledge jammed into your brain would do that to someone. And the fact that they were never around led to us being distant during much of my life. We had only just reconnected a few years before this whole thing happened, my father having been diagnosed with cancer and they were not sure if he would pull through. I was staying nearby to complete my training with Sensei when I found out. Needless to say that whole ordeal allowed us to come together as a family once more, even if I still was upset with them about how my childhood had been complete hell, at least to me.

"It seems we will need to have you see sooner than I thought," I pronounce into the silence, pulling Grimes-san up from the bed and helping him over to the closet. I realize his bandage is filthy, but I need to grab whatever is here off this floor and a few others before leaving with Grimes-san. "Grimes-san, can you get yourself dressed? I need to see what this hospital has to offer in way of supplies" His response is a hesitant nod, obviously unsure of his ability to dress himself. Good, it will give me more time to search for medicine among other things.

Searching this floor and the two above and below yields me many useful items: antibiotics, pain killers, other prescription drugs, surgical supplies, some army rations, a few syringes, bandages of every size and shape, along with enough bottled water to last weeks. Everything went into the two saddlebags I had brought with me from Midori's saddle.

Heading back to Grimes-san's room with the saddlebags tied to my back over Hisame's sheath, there is a surprising find. Two black fanny packs are lying on the floor under a piece of ceiling hidden from view unless you were walking in a certain direction. I crouch down and pull them out, checking for any holes or damage. Luckily they are completely intact, only covered in dust. One is attached to my left hip, the other to my right, bands crossing over each other on my waist. They are quite large, the packs covering both sides of my hips completely with only part of my back and stomach uncovered. I pull out the 12 kunai from my pockets and stick them in the fanny pack on my left side, leaving the ones in the leather straps be. When I get back to Midori the 4 in my bag and on the clip will get placed in it, too, bringing the number of kunai inside to 20. The other pack will probably be used to hold random things.

I walk into the room just as Grimes-san pulls on the gun belt, eyes flicking to me as he does so. As soon as he is finished with that I grab the lunchbox, stick the note inside, and herd Grimes-san out the door towards where I entered the hall. He stares at the bullet holes and blood splatters, barely dodging the pieces of ceiling. Our shoes tap a rhythm on the floor and glass as we head towards the locked door, my nerves stretching thin as I hope to Kami whatever is inside won't break out and kill us while I introduce Grimes-san to the new world order.

The sound of our shoes, our scent, something drew the Z's behind the doors towards us, rotting hands pushing out the door. Some scratch at the wood plank, others pull at the chain while yet others scrabble at the door itself, desperate for flesh after probable months without any food. No, not desperate. You had to be living to feel emotion, and those things were most certainly dead. Grimes-san's chi fills with horror and a sense of dawning realization.

With the show and tell over, I drag him over to the door leading to the stairs. Pulling out the flashlight, I have only a brief thought as to how he would react to the multiple dead bodies outside before we make our way down the stairs. It takes longer since I couldn't just jump down and leave Grimes-san, nor could I carry him down without revealing my abilities. He will likely learn the skills necessary to survive then leave, searching for any family of his left alive. Speaking of, I do know he has a son, but not whether he is married and such or not. Those questions would come later as we reach the bottom of the stairs, the door leading outside right in front of us.

"Prepare yourself," is all I say before I turn off the flashlight, yanking the door open. The bright light temporarily blinds us both, Grimes-san more so then me. Therefore I have an unobstructed view of his expression as he views the dead, expression falling slack with disgust and slight horror at the sheer _number_ of bodies.

Suddenly he moves, dashing off to who knows where. Well…that answers that question.

Sigh. Man am I sighing a lot these days, probably going to sigh more, too.

" **Bakabakashii cop**." Muttering under my breath about cops and their apparent need to run into deadly dangerous situations, I run after Grimes-san, the saddlebags bumping and swaying against my back. With a head start and my lack of energy, Grimes-san stays ahead of me a long ways. I can't catch up, but neither can he pull away farther. "Grimes-san!" I whisper shout, fearful of attracting Z's. Either he doesn't hear me or chooses to ignore my words, I cannot say.

Eventually after much running, with thankfully no Z's, we reach a seemingly random house. "Lori, Carl, Lori, Lori, Carl!" I'm only 3 feet away when, lunging, I crash into him, hitting the ground I slap my hands over his mouth. I straddle him, his back on the ground with my legs around his waist. I lean over him, face pulling into a smile as cold as the element I'm named after. Though he couldn't see my face, I know that some expressions can be seen through the mask. "Grimes-san-" I start, tone promising a world of hurt if his response was as bakabakashii as I feared "-just what in hell caused you to run off like that then scream for every Z within a mile to hear?" He gulps, face paling as he stares into the lenses of my sunglasses. Obviously he wants to answer, but finds that being unable to truly view my expressions was … something, I am terrible at reading complicated emotions. He pushes on my arms, allowing them to be moved I wait for his answer.

Only he doesn't respond. For a few minutes he just stares up at me, chi a whirl of fear, paranoia, anger, worry, despair, and an increasing urgency. The wait soon becomes unbearable, if he is going to be like this all the time I would be better off just leaving before the aho got me killed. "This is my house, mine and my wife and kid, we, we live … lived here." Oh, great. Now he looks about he is about to cry his eyes out. Not that I blame him, but that would be the _perfect_ ending to this _perfect_ day. Running low on food, finding this baka in a hospital, said baka running off immediately after leaving aforementioned hospital, then he starts screaming, and now he is about to start crying; It'll be a miracle if only a few Z's show up.

I slap him, hard, but careful not to snap his neck accidentally. The blubbering stops, a bright red handprint on Grimes-san's face as he stares at me again, blue eyes wide. "That is enough whimpering, you are a cop, act like one. We do not even know if your family is alive or dead yet. Until their fate is assured, you will keep. Your. Shit. Together." I know I sound harsh, but I can't have him losing it completely just yet. "Now, let us see if there are any hints in your house."

With that I climb off of him, pulling him up with me. I put Grimes-san behind me as I make my way slowly to the door. It's closed, but that doesn't really mean a whole lot these days. The house could be filled with Z's, wild animals, a violent group of people, anything really. The fact that it is unlocked discredits the violent group theory slightly as the door edges open. Grimes-san rushes past me, ignoring my harsh whispers to stop as he dashes from room to room. I stay at the door, determined not to get caught by anything that may be in there due to this aho's foolish and downright suicidal behavior. Grimes-san may not be pointing a gun at his own head, but running around and yelling like this, he might as well be fingering the trigger.

I only move when there has been no screams of distress for a few minutes, _guess this place is empty_ , Grimes-san walks up to me, a slightly crazed yet happy grin on his face. His chi filled with relief, worry, and happiness.

"They're alive." Well that explains the feeling I'm getting from his chi signature. He knows they were alive but not where they are or if they are still alive at this moment. "Good, as soon as you have a weapon and have killed your first Z you can go and look for them." And it truly is good, now I don't have to worry about him and his bakabakashii behavior getting me or my small family killed.

We are startled by the sound of a gunshot outside, Grimes-san less visibly than me. While I grab for Hisame gaze darting around, Grimes-san merely flinches a little then starts for the door. Outside in the street are two African-Americans, one much younger than the other. The younger one has a shovel in his hands while the older holds a smoking gun, a dead Z by his feet. Both turned towards Grimes-san when he rushed out, myself hiding behind in the doorway.

"Thank God, people." Grimes-san mutters before, loudly, shouting to the pair. "Hey, are you two okay. Need any help?" _Do they need help_? _What about you, I've repeatedly told you that zombies are attracted to …_ … _actually I might not have_.

Thinking back, I never had the chance to educate him about the Z's. He doesn't know how to kill them, what attracts them, or anything about how to survive this new world. _Kuso, how am I going to be able to walk away scott free knowing this guy might get himself killed within days_? Then I take a look at him. Graying hair with a receding hairline; blue eyes set in a pale face; a thin, slightly emaciated body; sweat drips from his skin from even the short run to this house. It's official. Only a miracle will keep this man from dying if I leave him. Not only is he still recovering from the gunshot, he is a complete aho, possibly with zero actual survival skills and muscle mass.

The sound of a gun cocking immediately brings me from my thoughts. The older man had grabbed the younger, _his son perhaps?_ , and shielded him with his body, gun pointing straight at Grimes-san. "What do you want?" He says just loudly enough for us to hear. _Finally, someone with a brain who isn't dead, dying, or zombified_.

Grimes-san will likely ask for food, information, or some other thing that will set the man off. Unless you are a part of the group or someone knows you, you do not, EVER, ask them for anything that they likely need and/or have in small supply. Depending on their numbers, they will either drive you off or kill you to protect themselves. I interrupt Grimes-san before we find out first hand which option the man will take.

"We are simply passing through. There is no need to see each other after this day, if you so desire." Everyone visibly flinches, Grimes-san not knowing I was behind him and the two others not knowing I was there period. The gun suddenly changes targets, barrel pointing at me. "The hell are you?" The older one is cautious, and with good reason. They cannot see my face so my moods and any tells are hidden, I'm obviously armed and they had no idea I was there until I had already spoken. "I am simply the one trying to keep this aho alive for the moment."

Everyone stares at me, obviously not understanding the term I had used. _Wait, the older one does. Looks like he is trying to hold back his amusement_. His face, though stoic, was betrayed by the laughter in his eyes and the tenseness of his jaw. His chi also was filled with equal measures of amusement, caution, and slight disbelief. The disbelief was confusing, did he think no one else would ever pass through here?

He loses the battle.

Quiet chuckles fill the air, the man trying to at least keep his laughter from attracting Z's. _Again, thank Kami for someone with an actual, functioning brain. I would rather be alone then driven insane by the sheer idiocy of bakabakashii survivors_. As the sound tapers off he straightens, the effort of keeping his laughter at a low volume having bent him over slightly. "Haven't heard any Japanese in years, where you from?" Ah, it's a miracle. An American who knows another language, even better that language is Japanese. Maybe he was in the military or some other organization?

"California, up until a few months ago." There was no need to hide where I was from, what use would it be? "Didn't know anyone could still be from somewhere that far away." The man…again, what is his name? Will this be the norm for the rest of my life? Having to ask complete strangers for their names?

Sigh…might as well have them call me something while I'm at it.

"You may call me Kira." -Grimes-san's chi fills with surprise- "This aho is Grimes Rick-san. What is your name?" A quick glance over to Grimes-san shows his apparent confusion about the revelation of 'my' name. "Morgan" -and back to the man- "The name's Morgan. Morgan Jones. Or should I say, Jones Morgan-san?" Kami-sama, he even knows a family name is spoken first when introducing yourself. _I'm keeping you, Jones Morgan-san, even if I have to stay here with you, your kid, and the baka aho_ (a.k.a. stupid idiot). Even if the boy turns out to be some random stranger or a nephew I'm still gonna think of him as Jones-san's kid. Oh, he is still speaking. "And this is my son, Duane." Duane-kun waves the shovel slightly, a hesitant look on his face.

"It is nice to meet you, Morgan-san, Duane-kun. Now, is there a place we can stay that is secured against the zombies." I would say Z's but I don't know if these people call them Z's or something else. "Yeah, yeah. We have a place a few houses down. Secure. Well, as secure as houses like these can get." And is that not the truth. You can board up the windows, block the door and the Z's will still get in eventually if they know you're there. Unless you find a place with security already installed, nowhere is truly safe. Like the facility my parents had built in Cali. Too bad I'll never get there now.

"Arigatou gozaimasu, for letting us into your shelter." I say with a small bow, hands pressed together in front of me in an almost prayer-like position. While it was the twenty-first century, my senseis had drilled old-fashioned manners into me from a young age. Basically a lot of bowing and formal speech. "Ieie, it's the right thing to do." Morgan-san's face pulls into a small smile, his chi filled with honesty and slight surprise. "And it's been too long since I had a proper Japanese conversation with a native speaker."

With that he turns to go, leaving us to catch up. I move past a frozen Grimes-san. He starts after me, a gobsmacked expression on his face. "How'd you do that?" Really, that is your first question, 'How'd you do that', seriously? What about, 'You're going with them' or, 'We're really trusting this guy'? 'How'd you do that?' my Kami.

"What do you mean?" I have no idea what he is speaking of. "I'm asking why you butted in like that…and speaking of, how you got that guy to listen to you?" Ah, so a two-fold question. "I 'butted in' as you say so that you would not get us shot asking bakabakashii questions. And Morgan-san listened to me because I was calm; said we would leave if he wanted us to." Grimes-san backed off, chi broadcasting the fact that he had begun to sulk.

A random house is our destination, Grimes-san seems to recognize it as we head in through the front door. It locks behind us. "This place … it's Fred and Cindy Drake's." _Drake_? Morgan-san seems uninterested. "Never met them."

"I've been here. This is their place."

Morgan-san finally looks at Grimes-san. "It was empty when we got here." Grimes-san looks around the room, long after I had already done so. There is a large mattress, oil lamps on end tables and cans of food and bottles of water on a kitchen table. Blankets cover the windows and the door is locked tight. While this shelter would last a good few days, it was by no means a candidate for a permanent residence. Especially since there is no room for Midori or Andre. There is barely enough for the four people already here.

Well, it's something. Andre and Midori are perfectly safe for now at the house we picked. Still…/ **Midori?** / Her response nearly gives me a headache. / **Onee-san, doko da? Are you okay? Did you find supplies? Andre is starting to get fussy, he misses you…Ah, not that I haven't been missing you, I do but-** /

/ **Midori, calm down. You're going to give me a headache.** /

/ **Gomen, Onee-san. Demo, I was starting to get a little worried.** /

/ **It's alright Mi-chan, I know how you get worried. Ah, you'll be happy to know I found an American who speaks Japanese!** / Shock and happiness flows through our bond from Midori. / **I thought Tom-chan was the only American who could speak Japanese?** / I feel the need to laugh, oh Midori. / **Midori…anyone can learn Japanese, it simply matters whether or not they put any effort into it.** / Embarrassment joins the shock and glee. / **Don't worry, I plan on waiting to introduce the two of you to these three. Morgan-san may speak Japanese but I don't completely trust him yet. Hopefully I can sneak out soon.** / Setting down the saddlebags on the floor, I glance to the door, a small worry growing in my mind.

"I am going to scout the area, make sure there are no Z's." WIth that I make my way to the front door, trusting someone to lock it behind me. Just as I thought there are dozens of Z's around the road, all of them making those unmistakable zombie sounds. The gunshot and yelling had attracted dozens of them. I decide to pick off a few Z's that are on the outskirts of the group.

To my left is a female Z. The only reason I could tell she was a Z was the bite mark on her chest, her skeletal appearance, and the classic, white zombie eyes. A dirty nightgown hangs off of its thin body. Stealthily, I ram a kunai into the temple, green-black zombie blood pouring out the hole left behind. A few other Z's are soon dealt with, cutting their numbers down by a third at least. With that done with I head back to the shelter, not bothering to clean or put away the blade just yet.

"I have returned." Morgan-san and the others turn to me, having had their conversation interrupted. Morgan-san notices my bloody kunai. "You been killing Walkers?" I tilt my head to the side, _obviously they have not seen a Z run yet if they're calling them Walkers_. "Hai, I managed to give quite a few of them mercy."

"Mercy," Grimes-san asks? I nod, "Hai, mercy. Is it not merciful to end the unlife of the dead, allow their tamashi, their soul, to ascend to the next plane of existence? I must believe that those who have died end up in a better place afterwards, I do believe it." Mercied also sounds better than killed or murdered, even though they are already dead.

Morgan-san seems to contemplate this, eyes darting from the kunai to my face and back. His chi is roiling with fear, hope, and…anticipation? "Wait a second." He heads upstairs, Duane-kun having fallen asleep on the mattress. Only a few minutes later he returns, a photo clutched in his hands. "Did you kill a walker that looked like her?"

The photo is of a pretty African-American women, eyes alight with happiness. My mind instantly flashes to that first Z I had mercied outside. With a few more pounds, clear eyes, and no bite mark, the Z looked exactly like the woman in the picture.

"Hai, that looks exactly like the first Z I gave mercy to outside. Who was she?" Morgan-san stares at the photo, then answers. "That was my wife, Jenny." _Kuso, that Z was his wife_?

"Honto ni gomen ne. I did not know your wife was one of those Z's. Forgive me my insolence." I bow, hands at my sides. Fully expecting Morgan-san to throw me out, it comes as a surprise when he instead pulls me into a bone-crushing hug.

" **I knew Jenny was dead; I couldn't bring myself to kill her again after witnessing her death once. One of these days it would have gotten me or my son you, thank you so much.** " When he put it that way, it sounds like I had saved their lives or something. Which I probably had, I was lucky that Midori snapped me out of my shock when my zombified parents attempted to eat me. Who knows what would have happened if she wasn't with me. Morgan-san might not have been able to shoot his wife before she bit him or his son.

" **There is no need to thank me, Morgan-san. I didn't even know I was doing something of this magnitude. I'm am thankful that you will not have to witness her die a second time.** " I carefully, okay _awkwardly_ , pat his back in an attempt to calm him down. It seems to work as a few minutes later he steps back, and if there is a wet spot on my shirt, well … who needs to know?

Grimes-san makes his presence known, "What was that all about? You killed his wife?" No, just … no. _Grimes-san_ , I think as I stare at him in disbelief, _do you still think of Z's as human beings? How? … Oh, right he has yet to actually see one besides their hands and that Z Morgan-san had mercied_.

"That wasn't my wife anymore, Rick. It was a Walker. Jenny's been dead for months now." Morgan-san looks at Duane-kun, concern filling his chi and face. "I don't know how to tell him his Mother's died … again." At that I shoot Morgan-san a look no doubt filled with confusion and slight worry. Again I slip into Japanese, the familiar vowels rolling off of my tongue. " **Does Duane-kun not realize his mother is dead? Did he think she was just ill or what?** "

The look on Morgan-san's face says it all.

" **Kuso**."

Why is this my life? Surrounded by bakas and weaklings. Morgan-san may be salvageable, but Grimes-san needs a serious reality check as well as Duane-kun. Duane-kun has a valid excuse since he's a child and has been mostly protected, but Grimes-san is an adult and he needs to buck up or he'll get zombified.

Sigh…

"Okay...okay, first of all, tell Duane-kun that his mother has finally found peace. He can take it any way he wants to. Do either of you have a plan as to what we do next?" Grimes-san and Morgan-san look at me, then to each other. Surprisingly, Grimes-san is the first to speak. "Well, there might be some guns and ammo left at the station. And there are showers." Grimes-san says a few other things but I was hooked by the time he mentioned a shower.

How long has it been since I had an honest to Kami shower? _Too long_ , I grimace. But, can you blame me? I am covered in zombie bits, dirt, and dried sweat; my hair is stringy and shiny with grease. Thankfully it is unseen beneath all of my layers. I don't even care if it's ice cold. I. Need. A shower.

Morgan-san seems to share my thoughts if the sense of relief and hope filling his chi is any indication. But, our reality floods in with Morgan-san's next words. "We'll need to wait till morning, let some of the Walkers wander off. No sense getting killed for a shower and a possibility of guns." With those words, Grimes-san and I look around for a place to sleep. Morgan-san seems to understand our dilemma. "The couch is free, another bed is upstairs to the right." Grimes-san hesitates before heading towards the couch, shoulders slumping in exhaustion. With that decision made we all mutter a quiet 'goodnight' to each other as I head upstairs, saddlebags dragging behind me.

The bed to the right turns out to be Duane-kun's old room, blue sheets and model airplanes hanging from the ceiling. I pick out a few other details before shucking off the extra weight and grabbing a single kunai. Laying down, kunai in hand, I close my eyes. The glasses and mask are still on my face, making for an uncomfortable sleep. I can't be bothered though as I almost immediately pass out, vision fading to black.

TBC


End file.
